Staff

Dr. Essie Torres, Director of Research Workforce Strategy and Community Partnerships; Director Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

As Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA), I lead efforts to align postdoctoral training and professional development with national recommendations. My focus is on enhancing the postdoctoral experience through expanded development opportunities, improved mentorship, and career preparation. We are also building our mentor network by providing resources to empower mentors and foster a culture of continuous learning for postdoctoral scholars. Additionally, I contribute to UNC system-wide initiatives exploring career pathways for postdocs and strengthening infrastructure to support their training and professional development.

With over 20 years of experience as a public health researcher, I have expertise in cross-cutting issues such as social determinants of health, health literacy, racial inequities, cancer disparities, and health equity among marginalized communities, using mixed methods, CBPR, and Implementation Science approaches. Throughout my career, I have mentored scholars at various educational stages. I am a two-time recipient of the Undergraduate Research Mentor Award from East Carolina University and have mentored nearly 100 scholars. I remain passionate about creating a comprehensive postdoctoral training experience.

Phone at 919-962-1319 

Email: Essie.Torres@unc.edu 

Dr. Alan Marsh, Associate Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

Alan Marsh is the primary administrator responsible for the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. Alan directs initiatives and oversees the implementation of training programs for the UNC postdoctoral population. Other responsibilities include providing resources, centralizing communications, informing policy, liaising with different offices across campus, and engaging with faculty. Alan enjoys highlighting the achievements of UNC postdocs and providing a support network to help provide community for postdocs working at the university.

As a molecular microbiologist, Alan’s research focused on finding bacterial solutions for gut health via probiotics and prebiotics. He received his PhD from University College Cork in Ireland, where he studied the microbial populations of fermented foods, and peptide antimicrobials. Following a year working as a postdoctoral associate researching how probiotics can be used to improve gut health in piglets, he moved to UNC-CH to work with the Microbiome Core and the Azcarate-Peril lab. Here, he studied the gut microbiome of human organ donors, performed expression analyses, and studied the impact of nutritional fiber on gut microbial populations. A passionate advocate for postdocs, Alan was chair of the UNC Postdoctoral Association for 2 years before transitioning to his current role as Associate Director for the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.

Phone:  919-843-4169

Email:  alan.marsh@unc.edu

Dara Wilson-Grant, Director of Postdoctoral Career and Professional Development

Dara Wilson-Grant oversees the officeʼs career and professional development programs, including designing and delivering select workshops and initiatives. Dara is also the lead career coach for postdoctoral scholars. She is passionate about helping postdocs transition into the next phase of their career — helping them move forward with greater clarity and confidence and equipped with the tools to advance within their chosen career path or change course.

With over 20 years of career management experience, Dara is a recognized leader in postdoctoral career development — an invited speaker and workshop presenter at leading institutions and organizations, guest author for the National Postdoctoral Associationʼs POSTDOCket, and frequently referenced in Science magazineʼs Science Careers.

Dara is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and National Certified Counselor. She completed her Masterʼs degree in Counseling from Fordham University in New York City and holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland.

Email:  dwgrant@email.unc.edu

Jennifer Pruitt Harrison, Program Coordinator

Jennifer is the contact for the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity, managing the recruitment, selection, and onboarding of scholars with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences coming to Carolina to prepare for tenure-track faculty positions. She also oversees the logistics for the professional development programs and workshops provided for the program. Previously working under the office of the vice chancellor for research as the assistant to the associate vice chancellor for research, she has over fifteen years of experience working at the university.

Jennifer is an alumna of Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. She has a Master’s degree in Higher Education (CCUL) from Appalachian State University.

Phone:  919-962-7757
Email:  jennifer_pruitt@unc.edu

Alan Farber, Career Counselor

Alan joined OPA following 27 years as a university career development specialist. Prior to arriving at UNC in 2013, he was the Associate Director of Career Services at the University of San Diego, and the Assistant Director of Career Services at Northern Illinois University (NIU). He has taught graduate career development courses at NIU and the Illinois School of Professional Psychology.

Alan has helped thousands of students and seasoned professionals to explore their options and realize their professional dreams. He has conducted many professional presentations, and written numerous articles, guides, and book chapters on career-related topics.

Alan completed a Ph.D. in Counseling at Michigan State University. He has a Master’s degree in Counseling from Ball State University in Indiana, and a B.A. in Psychology from Marietta College in Ohio.

Email:  afarber@email.unc.edu